The Ascetic Piety of the Prophet David in Muslim Rewritings of the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Ascetic Piety of the Prophet David in Muslim Rewritings of the Psalms

DAVID R. VISHANOFF, University of Oklahoma, vishanoff@ou.edu

American Oriental Society, March 17, 2019, Chicago Slides and paper available at vishanoff.com

T h i s r e s e a r c h w a s a s s i s t e d b y a n N E H F e l l o w s h i p f r o m t h e N a t i o n a l E n d o w m e n t f o r t h e H u m a n i t i e s a n d a n A C L S F e l l o w s h i p f r o m t h e A m e r i c a n C o u n c i l o f L e a r n e d S o c i e t i e s .

A n y v i e w s , f i n d i n g s , c o n c l u s i o n s , o r r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s e x p r e s s e d i n t h i s p r e s e n t a t i o n d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e p r e s e n t t h o s e o f t h e N a t i o n a l E n d o w m e n t f o r t h e H u m a n i t i e s o r t h e A m e r i c a n C o u n c i l o f L e a r n e d S o c i e t i e s .

Koranic (K)

Fatih 28 (Fat) Madrid 5146 (Mad)

BP with Moses (BPM)

Princeton 108B (Prin)

2d half of BPM (BPM2) Core Plus (C+)

Ayasofya 30 (Aya)

Moses (M)

Leiden 14.027 (LeiM)

Pious (P)

Huntington 515 (Hunt)

Broken Pious (BP) Orthodox (O)

Hüsrev Paşa 4 (Hüs) Leiden 6129 (Leid)

Core (C)

Sufi (S)

Florence 267 (Flo) Khoy 77 (Khoy) Carullah 5 (Car) Halet Efendi ve Eki 11 (Hal) Fatih 29 (F29)

C++

Sprenger 466 (Spr) Damat İbrahim Paşa 5 (Dam)

Proto-Sufi (PS)

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme

(Fatih 88) O O David, i if som

• meo

eone d e does es n not g give e back t the e wea ealth th he e has a amasse ssed, b but s stores s up for h himse self w wicked d dee eeds, s, I will summon the owner and command that his wealth be heaped upon him and set ablaze for a thousand years in the Fire. Then I will divide it in two halves; one half will be used to brand his forehead, and the other half will be forced, with fury and curses, into his belly to scald him. Th This i is for

• r y

you

• u a

a deterrent an and a a proh

• hibition ag

agai ainst ac acquiring w weal

• alth. I

I am t the J e Just Judg dge.

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme

(Fatih 88) O David, i if someon eone does es not give e back t the wealth he h has amassed, but stores up for h himsel elf w wicked d deed eeds, […] This i is f for you a deterrent a and a prohibition a against acquiring

• wealth. I

I a am the Just J Judge. (Core 89) Wrongful ul w wealth b h bestows o

• nly

cowardice, , while rightf tful w wealth th d dispels w worry, , increases s strength, and draws one n near t to the Garden, , if it t is amassed by y permissible means. . But o

• ne who a

amasses it by forbidden means is storing up for himself w wicked d

• deeds. I will

summon its owner and command that his wealth be heaped upon him and set ablaze for a thousand years in the Fire. Then I will divide it in two halves; one half will be used to brand his face and his forehead, and the other half will be forced, with fury and curses, into his belly to scald him. This i is for y you a a deterrent and a a prohibition n against a acqui uiring wealth. h.

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme

(Core 89) […] This is for you a deterrent a t and d a p prohibition

• n against acquiring w

wea ealth th. (Pious 70) […] This should be for you a sufficient deterrent a t and w d warning against acquiring wh what i is forbidden en and doing wicked deeds. (Sufi 41.2) This word is for you, all ye who seek to ac acquire w weal alth! Have you been given no d deterrent? Yet you shamelessly snatch up what I provide, without being able to fulfill your end of the bargain. No, you are not unable! But you pursue instead your own desires, though I know it will only lead you to misery. For I comprehend all things.

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme

(Core 88) Whoever l loves t s the he Her erea eaft fter, let him n not c t contaminate i it with t this w s world; but whoever loves this world let him not b be e ex extravagant with it. I have n e not f forbidden en prof

• fit, nor have I prohibited you from

pursuing g

• gain. I have not forbidden you

good

• od f

food

• od, or the b

e bed eds s of w women and intercourse with goodly [women]; I just want you to act decently regarding food, to exercise discretion in claiming more than you need of what you are lawfully entitled to, and to call yourselves to account before you are called to account. For if a servant’s heart becomes preoccupied with remembrance of me, but then he starts to accumulate wealth, his is s standin ing w will ill dec ecrease se b by the he amount t of h his w wea ealth th.

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme

(Core 88) […] I have not forbidden profit, nor have I prohibited you from pursuing

• gain. I have not forbidden you good food, or

the beds of women and intercourse with goodly [women…] (Pious 69) […] I have not forbidden profit from

• m p

permitted ed good

• ods, nor have I prevented

you from pursuing gain through b ben enefi fici cial dealings

• gs. I have not forbidden you food or

victuals, or ma marrying women, or sweet– smelling perfume […]

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme
• Ascetical vs. mystical

(Core 88) […] I have not forbidden profit, nor have I prohibited you from pursuing

• gain. I have not forbidden you good food, or

the beds of women and intercourse with goodly [women…] (Pious 69) […] I have not forbidden profit from

• m p

permitted ed good

• ods, nor have I prevented

you from pursuing gain through b ben enefi fici cial dealings

• gs. I have not forbidden you food or

victuals, or ma marrying women, or sweet– smelling perfume […]

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme
• Ascetical vs. mystical
• Inner vs. outer

(Koranic 12 = Core 10) O ye people, do n not forget t t the e next w world, nor l let t the s e splendor and r radiance of t this w world del elude y

• you. O

Children of Israel, if you reflected on your end and destination, and if you called to mind the Resurrection and what I have prepared on that Day for the disobedient, you w would l laugh gh l little e and w weep m much! […] If

• nly you would think how hard the ground

and how cold and dark the grave; then you would speak little, but would frequently invoke my name and attend single– mindedly to me. For beauty is found only in the next life; the b e bea eauty ty o

• f thi

his w world i is fickl kle a e and f fleeting. g.

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme
• Ascetical vs. mystical
• Inner vs. outer
• Exaggerated fear

(Core 4.5) Bles esse sed a are t e the he anxious, s, those se stricken en wi with f fear, who comfort orphans with food and nourishment. Blessed ed a are thos

• se

e wh who

• wi

withdraw i in silence e from society and its vices, whose souls are afforded the most sublime insight. Blessed are those who rise to spen end t the e nig ight in in vig igil il. But woe to those who go looking for adultery! The least that I will do to adulterers is to blot out the glow of health from their faces and wipe away both their lifespan and their livelihood. Blessed are those who think too highly of me to gaze on the private parts of those forbidden to them, fearing my punishment.

Introduction History of the texts

• The twelve recensions
• Reception history
• Scripture
• Piety
• Grammar

Ascetic origins

• Mild vs. extreme
• Ascetical vs. mystical
• Inner vs. outer
• Exaggerated fear
• Monastic influence

Abba Antony said, “With fear ear o

• f God before our

eyes, let us ever be mindfu ful of d

• death. […] While

staying in the cell, collect your mind; remember the day of death; behold t the s e subseq equent decomposition o

• f t

the b body; consider the misfortune; accept the pain; condemn t the e vanity

• f
• f t

the w wor

• rld

ld; be attentive to due proportion and zeal that you might be able ever to remain in the same intended hesychia [stillness, the life of a hermit] without weakening. Keep in mind, too, the e state o

• f things i

in Ha Hades es and think what it is like for the souls who are therein: in what most bitter silence, amidst what most horrid g groan aning, in what great fear an r and ag agony, in what apprehension as they anticipate the unrel elenting t torm rment or t the e eternal al a and internal al w wee

• eeping. But remember too

the d e day o

• f res

esurr rrect ction and of [our] appearing before God.” (The Book of the Elders: Sayings of the Desert Fathers, the Systematic Collection, ch. 3 nos 1 and 2, trans. John Wortley)

Koranic (K)

Fatih 28 (Fat) Madrid 5146 (Mad)

BP with Moses (BPM)

Princeton 108B (Prin)

2d half of BPM (BPM2) Core Plus (C+)

Ayasofya 30 (Aya)

Moses (M)

Leiden 14.027 (LeiM)

Pious (P)

Huntington 515 (Hunt)

Broken Pious (BP) Orthodox (O)

Hüsrev Paşa 4 (Hüs) Leiden 6129 (Leid)

Core (C)

Sufi (S)

Florence 267 (Flo) Khoy 77 (Khoy) Carullah 5 (Car) Halet Efendi ve Eki 11 (Hal) Fatih 29 (F29)

C++

Sprenger 466 (Spr) Damat İbrahim Paşa 5 (Dam)

Proto-Sufi (PS)

?